A voltage rating may appear frequently while looking for an LED strip lamp. But are you unclear about its precise meaning? Do you know if 24V or 12V should be used? Find out by reading on!
Which is preferable, 24V or 12V?
Choosing between 12V and 24V while selecting an LED strip is a typical practice. Both fall under the category of low voltage lighting, with the 12V standard being more popular. Which is better, though?
Although there are many variables that affect it, the following questions should help you focus.
1) Do you already have a specification for the power supply?
Making ensuring the new LED strips match what you currently have could be preferable, for instance, if you already have a stock of 12V power supplies or use 12V batteries.
In this manner, you may match the LEDs without having to acquire a new set of power supply.
2) Do the LED strips need to be trimmed to a specific length?
In comparison to 24V LED strips, 12V LED strips have 3 LEDs per strand. They may be chopped to the desired length between strings, but not inside a string.
In other words, 24V LED strips can be cut every six LEDs, but 12V LED strips can be cut every three LEDs.
Depending on the LED density, cutting a 24V strip every 6 LEDs can limit your choice of length to 3" increments rather than 1.5" at 12V.
3) Are you still unsure of your preference? A 24V system will function better under all circumstances.
The identical product will typically be available in 12V and 24V and will contain the same number of LEDs with the same power and output, with the only difference being the combination of voltage and amperage.
A 24W per meter LED strip, for instance, would consume 2.0A per meter at 12V, compared to 1.0A per meter at 24V. Both will consume 24W and produce the same amount of light, but the 24V version will often operate more efficiently both inside the LED strip and at the power supply since it uses less amperage.
This is so because voltage has no bearing on the amperage-based measurement of resistance. The lower amperage option (24V) will thus operate more effectively electrically, all else being equal.
(This is the same explanation for why electricity networks utilize several thousand kilovolts while transferring energy, and then scaling this down when distributing to houses).
Therefore, we think 24V is preferable than 12V if the power supply choice and cuttable length are not important factors. Discover more about the benefits of 24V here.
